Subversive Mercury and the Leo Full Moon

We’re in the midst of a few busy days astrologically speaking, with the Sun, Moon and Mercury central to pivotal events. For one thing, the Sun just entered Aquarius yesterday, on its way to a Full Moon this weekend.

This puts the Sun in the sign of fixed air, and a sign curiously co-ruled by Saturn (fixed structures) and Uranus (spontaneous sparks or eruptions). So there’s an element of something new and seemingly fluid or ephemeral breaking out, and then crystallizing -- like your breath on a below-freezing day. Or, think of how new electronic technology tends to burst on the scene, disrupting the way everyone is used to doing things, and then it quickly solidifies its place as the new norm.

This is the new tone of expression for the Sun, which represents your conscious awareness. Aquarius also introduces the question of individuality in the midst of group consciousness, and the way that elite or exclusive groups form -- thereby affecting the dynamics of awareness and identity. Eric Francis is fond of noting the difference between group consciousness (which occurs when several individuals are united), versus mob consciousness (when individual thought is abdicated and one gives over identity and individual power to a group). Sadly, the latter seems to be more common.

Just a few days after the Sun ingresses Aquarius, the Moon enters Leo (the opposite sign) for the Leo Full Moon. That Full Moon is exact at 8:46 pm EST on Saturday.

A Leo Moon relates to display and the dramatic (a desire for attention), pride, expression on the level of personality and leadership. A Leo Moon on a Saturday night is perfect for socializing out and about. Yet, contrasted with the group themes of Aquarius, it’s easy to see how this Full Moon might bring out tension in any situation where you’re trying to stand out from the crowd without actually breaking away from a group you identify with.

Layer on top of that the fact that Mercury stations direct on Monday at 5:50 pm EST (while in a conjunction to Pluto in Capricorn), and some very interesting communication situations could arise. From Friday through the middle of next week we’ll be in the ‘storm’ phase, which is the two to three days or so on either side of Mercury stationing. Just as the word ‘storm’ implies, you can expect that anything Mercury related (thought processes, communication, transportation, technology) will require a deeper level of focus and patience from you.

In fact, with communication in particular, you might find that returning to ‘old’ modes and methods of getting your message across are particularly helpful. Mainly it’s Mercury’s presence in Capricorn that suggests this, with the presence of Pluto adding a potentially subversive twist.

An NPR story Wednesday morning rang the bell on this theme for me: Despite the fact that there are reporters on the ground in war-torn Syria, frequent electricity cuts and dropped Internet connections make it incredibly difficult to broadcast news within the country to Syrian citizens. But a German NGO called Media in Cooperation and Transition has figured out how to use “old-school, analog technology” like satellite and FM radio to get past the unreliable Internet. All Syrian citizens need to hear news being broadcast by nine “pocket transmitters” that have been smuggled in from Berlin is a transistor radio, a car radio or the FM receiver inside a cell phone -- items most Syrians have access to.

Should things get wiggy, you can take this idea of using forms of communication that hail from the past, and apply it to subverting or getting under any difficulties you encounter as you try to express yourself this week. The asteroid Pallas conjunct the Sun during the Full Moon suggests you work with a strategy -- one tailor-made to work effectively with the group you’re in (or the individual you’re faced with) to minimize drama.

What’s especially beautiful about this is that with Mercury retrograde conjunct Pluto, you’re in a position to analyze how this has the potential to evolve how you think and communicate in general. When Mercury stations direct Monday evening, listen for the subtle ‘click’ of a new piece of information or understanding snapping into place.